Tuck or plait forming attachment for sewing-machines



(No Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet '1.

G.VH..P0STBR. y TUCK 0R PLAIT FORMING ATTACHMENT EUR SEWING MACHINES.

N0. 675,342. Patented 'Jam 19, 1897.

n cams ruins ou, vamo-uma 2 sheets-sheet 2. C. H. FOSTER. TUGK 0R PLAIT FORMING ATTACHMENT E'Rv SEWNG MACHINES. N0. 575,342.

Patented Jan. 19, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

CHARLES Il. FOSTER,l OF NEW YORK, N.

MANUFACTURING COMPANY,

Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER OF NETV JERSEY.

TUCK 0R PLAlT FORMING ATTACHMENT FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 575,342, dated January 19, 1897.

Application filed November 18, 1895.

sain No. 569,322. ma modelli To all whom iz'; may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. FOSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tuck or Plait Forniing Attachments for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accoi'npan ying drawings.

My invention relates to that class of plaiting attachments for sewing-machines adapted to form a plurality of parallel plaits or tucks simultaneously, and has for its object to provide a novel and simple attachment for 'effecting this result.

My new plaiting ldevice is intended to be applied to a sewing-machine having a plurality of needles and com plemcntal stitch-forming devices to form a plurality of independent seams simultaneously, and my invention is carried into effect by means of a cloth crimping or corrugat-ing device arranged at some little distance in front of the. needles, and a series of guiding and plait-turning blades which extend between the ribs of cloth formed by the corrugating device and which partially turn the same over in such a manner that when they pass beneath the presser-foot of the machine they will all be laid over evenly and folded down as plaits, so as to be properly stitched by the multipleneedle sewing-machine.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my invention applied to a four-needle Singer sewing-inachine and as it appears in operation. Fig. 2 is a partial front end view of the machine, showing the attachment in side View. Fig. 3 is a frontview of the attachment as applied to the machine. Fig. l is a partial plan view showing the lower crimping and guiding devices. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the upper crimping and guiding devices. Fig. G is a detail plan view of the upper guiding-blades and the bracket by which they are supported, and Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 7 7 of Fig. 2.

A denotes the work-plate,and B the depending head at the forward end of the arm B' of the machine.

Attached to the work-plate A is a plate a, provided with a corrugated or ribbed and grooved portion a', and rearward of the said corrugated portion a' are slightlytwisted guiding-blades a2, equal in number to the ribs of the part a and preferably formed as continuations of said ribs, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4. Secured to the head B is an arm or bracket b, having two depending rigid arms b' b2.

C is a plate or foot arranged above the corrugated part a' of the plate a, said plate C having a corrugated or ribbed and grooved under surface the ribs of which are so located as to register with the grooves of the corrugations beneath it. The plate or foot C is provided with a shank c, having a sliding connection with the arm b2, said shank being joined by a link c' with a lever c2, pivoted at este the bracket b, so that the said plate or foot C nia-y be readily raised or lowered. The ribs and grooves of the parts C and a' extend approximately in the direction of the feed of the material, but preferably converge slightly toward each other rearwardly or toward needles.

Attached to the arm Z1' is an angular bracket d., the horizontal part of which supports a series of guiding and turning blades e., which are so arranged as to interni esh or extend between the blades a2 and closely adjacent to the presse r-foot f of the machine. These blades a2 and e are so placed asto extend between the ribs of cloth formed by the corrugating devices and are slightly twisted, so that their rear portions are rather more inclined relative to a vertical plane than their front portions, so that the said ribs of cloth will be somewhat inclined over as they pass beneath the presser-foot, and will thus all be pressed down dat in one direction by the latter to be stitched down by the needles and their cooperating stitch-forniing devices.

In the operation of my invention the corrugating plate or foot C is first lifted by means of the lever cg, and the work is then inserted beneath it, and when the foot has been lowered the work is drawn forward to the presserfoot, and then when the machine is started a series of closely-placed parallel plaits or tucks G ill be formed by the folding and guiding devices and will be stitched down by the sewing mechanism. The rearwardly-converging a-rrangement of the ribs and grooves of the corrugating devices serves to permit the cloth to be drawn together properly in forming the tucks or plaits, these ribs and grooves as they converge being somewhat tapering or of gradually-diminishing size in cross-section rearwardly.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A tuck-forming attachment for sewingmachines consisting of upper and lower ilat corrugated plates having rearwardlyconverging intermeshing ribs and grooves eX- tending in the direction of the feed of the work, or approximately so, combined with upper and lower intermeshing and partiallytwisted guiding-blades arranged between the said corrugated plates and the presser-foot and stitch-forming devices of the machine.

2. A tuck-forming attachment for sewingmachines consisting of upper and lower .cor-

ranged to extend in the direction of the feed of the Work, or approximately so, combined with upper and lower intermeshing and partially-twisted guiding and plait or tuck turning blades located bet-Ween said corrugated plates and the presser-foot and stitch-formin g devices of the machine.

3. A tuck-forming attachment for sewingmachines consisting of the combination with the plate a having the corrugated portions ct and the blades a2, of the supporting arm or bracket b having the depending arms b', b2, the plate or foot C having a corrugated lower face and provided with the shank c havinga sliding connection With thel said arm b2, the link c' and lever o2 for raising and lowering said plat-e or foot C, and the bracket d attached to the arm b' and provided with a series of guiding and turning blades e.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES II. FOSTER.

rn gated plates the upper one of which is verti- Witnesses: cally movable, said plates having rearwardly- GEO. A. PRIEST, converging interm eshin g ribs and grooves ar- J. A. REID. 

